White queso dip is the number one thing I look forward to when eating Mexican food! I never knew how to make it at home, but once you find out how easy it is to make, you’ll want to serve it on every taco Tuesday from here on out!
Why you should make this white queso dip recipe:
This white queso dip is just like the stuff you get from your favorite Mexican restaurant! It’s super creamy, perfectly spicy and will always make me guilty of filling up way too much on chips and queso before the real meal is even served!
This recipe only contains 5 ingredients and is ready in less than 10 minutes, so there’s really no excuse to not make it! It’s great for parties, game day or tailgates! A favorite in my house and I think it will be in yours too!
Simple ingredients you’ll need for creamy white queso dip:
- White american cheese
- Pepper jack cheese
- Evaporated milk
- Diced green chilies: jalapeno peppers work well here too
- Ground cumin
What is evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk can be used for a variety of sweet and savory dishes. As its name implies, it’s milk that’s gone through a cooking process to remove or evaporate over half of the water content. This results in a milk that’s thicker than regular whole milk but not quite as thick as heavy cream.
How to make the best Mexican white cheese dip:
- Add the cheeses and evaporated milk to a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Drain the can of green chiles and add them to the saucepan. Then sprinkle in the cumin and stir to combine.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips!
You can use a double boiler for this recipe too!
A double boiler is great if you want to keep the queso warm for longer. A double boiler is a method used for heating and melting things and requires there to be two containers nestled inside one another. The larger container is full of hot water and the smaller container heats whatever you’re melting (in this case, the queso ingredients).
FAQ:
Patience is key when melting the cheese! You’ll want to keep the heat low so that the cheese melts evenly and the evaporated milk doesn’t burn. Cheese dip that becomes too hot can overcook and become grainy.
A simple fix for this is to add more evaporated milk. If your queso is too thin, do the opposite and add a few more slices of cheese!
White american cheese is more common than you may think. It’s not usually sold in the regular cheese aisle at the grocery store though. If you visit the deli counter they will more than likely be able to slice some for you!
There is a science to the best chip for this white queso dip. My favorite style is a tortilla chip in the ‘scoop’ shape. This way, the queso doesn’t just run right off the chip and is instead cradled in the cup-shaped chip!
Either cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the leftover dip to an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for up for 3-4 days! Then, when you’re ready to heat it up again, pop it in the microwave for 30 second intervals, making sure to stir in between until it’s warm throughout.
Looking for more easy appetizers? Try these out!
White Queso Dip (Mexican Cheese Dip)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb white american cheese
- 1/2 lb pepper jack cheese
- 1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles drained
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1 tsp ground cumin
For serving:
- tortilla chips I like the scoop variety
Instructions
- Add the cheeses and evaporated milk to a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Drain the can of green chiles and add them to the saucepan. Sprinkle in the cumin and stir to combine.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips!
Nutrition
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I’m not a fan of pepper Jack cheese because of the spice (I know I know). What other cheese could I substitute? Or just more white American? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, more white American is what I would do!
Just use regular Jack cheese. It will probably say “Monterey Jack” on the package.
Monterey jack cheese. all pepperjack is, is Monterey jack with peppers 🌶
Hello…
Can you use Rotel (drained) in this recipe?
Thanks!
Joanne
Sure! That would be delish!
I was looking for a recipe as the melting cheese I normally use is no longer sold near me, so I was desperate to find a replacement for dinner tonight, and found this recipe. I’m not a huge fan of a deep cumin flavor, so I did omit about 3/4 of that from the recipe, and it was delicious! Will use from now on I’m sure! Thank you!
Hi Leslie! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit with your family! It’s a staple in my house too! Enjoy! 🙂
If left standing on the counter, Will this mixture harden or stay suspended in a melted state?
Hi James, this queso does solidify a bit as it cools. It can be returned to the stove or microwave and re-heated again for the same smooth, creamy texture as before!
Can I mix and leave everything in a crockpot l?
Yes! It’ll take a little longer to melt in a crockpot but as long as you have the time, it’s a great idea!
Looks great , thanknunso much fir sharing with everyone ❤️
Can I sub out sharp white cheddar instead? Is it fine to throw ingredients in mini crock pot?
Oops! You already answered about the crock pot. I could only find sharp white cheddar in the store!
Sharp white cheddar unfortunately won’t melt the same as white American cheese and will be much more tangy in flavor so I wouldn’t recommend using it. Try checking with the deli counter for white American cheese next time you are at the store!
When you say white American cheese- do you mean white Velveeta- the processed cheese that melts easier and smoother?
White American cheese is something different from Velveeta and can usually be found at your local deli counter. I haven’t tried using Velveeta for this recipe but I’m sure it would be creamy and delicious as well!
I haven’t even given it a try yet but I give this site and recipe 5 stars – you will gain lots of followers with this streamlined site! Thank you!
Thanks Catherine! The support means a lot! 🙂
What do I do if it’s all clumpy and separating?!
If you are using American cheese, it shouldn’t clump and separate. It is a processed cheese so it melts very easily. First, I’d make sure you’re using American cheese, and if you are, just keep letting it warm/melt on the stove until it’s smooth.
I had the same thing happen, I think I might’ve cooked it too long. After I found this, I took it off the heat & let it start to solidify & it got better, a little grainy, but better. Next time I’m going to try heating the milk up first & slowly adding the cheese until incorporated & taking it off the heat sooner.
Can you freeze half of it for later?
Yup! You can also just split the recipe in half if you want a smaller portion!
Excellent, tasted just like a restaurant Queso. A little spicy so if you wanted you could trade out some of the pepper jack for more American cheese
So glad you liked it! 🙂
This recipe is ridiculously easy and equally as delicious. We’ve made it twice now. This last time, we used Boar’s Head white American & Boar’s Head 3 pepper Colby Jack. Tossed everything in a small crockpot on high for about an hour, stirring here and there. It was a HIT!
Hi Michelle! So happy you love it!
Why is mine gritty? It tastes great! But the texture is off? What did I do wrong?
Can you cook this in the oven?
Sure! Just be sure to stir the dip incrementally so that everything melts evenly.
thanks… I shall do that…👍
thanks for sharing 🌹 delicious treats….🙋♀️👍🦋❤️
So glad you love them!
I used block cheese for both and shredded in the food processor. Taste was there and initially it looked great. But when reheating it was gritty. Tried all the tricks to make it not gritty to no avail. Do I just need the pasteurized cheese?
Hi Jo Anne, I haven’t made this recipe with block cheese before. I always use slices of white american cheese and pepper jack cheese which seems to work well every time! I’d recommend going to your local deli counter and asking for them to cut slices for you rather than buying block cheese or pasteurized! Hope this helps! 🙂
I made this just as the recipe calls for and it was excellent ! Thank you so much for sharing !
Hi Judy, so glad you love it! Thanks for feedback!
I’m making this for a crowd, as in..quadrupling the recipe. So that deli sliced American cheese is getting expensive. Could I use the kind that’s individually wrapped? It’s much cheaper but if it won’t be the same, I won’t do it!
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried it with the individually wrapped cheese but you’ll want to be sure it’s white american cheese so that your queso doesn’t turn orange! Other than that, I’d think it would be ok since that usually melts easily! If you try it out, come back and let me know how it goes!
How much does this make? Is It appx. a quart?
Hi Angela, I’d say you’re approximation is spot on! Hope that helps… 🙂
My daughter and I tried this recipe today. The flavor is good but the consistency was off. It was very thin. My fix for this was to add more cheese since we had already added all the evaporated milk. We will definitely be making this recipe again. Next time we’ll use less milk. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
PERFECT🌞 THANKS
Can you use the queso as a sauce on enchiladas then bake ? Or would it be better to use after the enchiladas come out of the oven?
I had some enchiladas in Vegas & they used queso & it was absolutely amazing 🤩
Hi Mindy! I’m sure you could do either way but I think adding the queso when the enchiladas come out of the oven would be best! Hope you try it! 🙂
I made this and it tasted great but was pretty runny. I recommend not adding all of the milk at once in case you don’t need it. Next time I plan on adding a little milk with the cheese and then adding more as needed to get the right consistency. Tastes awesome though!
Making this weekend I already know it’s going to be great. Thanks for the recipe!
So sweet! Thanks for the love Nicole!!
This is my go to and my favorite hostess gift!
Hi Madge, so glad you love the queso! It’s one of my faves too 🙂
Hi Sophie, this looks so fantastic! I always order queso when I go out for Mexican food, so I’m excited to try your version. It’ll be so perfect for the Super Bowl this weekend. I think I’ll make a double batch! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Hi Kim! This is the best white queso!! Just like what you get from Mexican restaurants! You’re going to love it! 🙂
I plan on adding chorizo to this, If i make this in the crockpot tonight for a potluck tomorrow will it still be fine to reheat the next day?
It was really good when I taste tested it once it was all melted, it was my first time making queso.. I wasnt aware of how easy it is to over cook. It got thick & clumpy.. now I kno for next time im sure itll be a 5 star
Why is my cheese grainy?
Hi Heather! Did you use sliced white American cheese and pepper jack? You want to be sure to not use shredded cheese here.
Temperature is important when melting cheese. I suspect the temperature was too high, it wasn’t stirred enough and consistently, and probably not held at a low enough temp
I made this and it was yummy! But it was the perfect liquid when warm but once it cools down it gets too hard to even dip a chip in it. How to avoid this?
Hi Tara! Keeping this queso in a crockpot on the low setting will help keep it in a liquid state for longer. You could also keep it in a double boiler on the stove, or just reheat in the microwave as needed! Hope this helps!
Delicious! Tried many queso recipes and didn’t like any of them. My daughter sent me this recipe and it was delicious, just like the restaurants.
Hi Lucy! Thanks for the rave review! I’m glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Easy to make and tastes just like the restaurants. Will definitely make again.
Hi Linda! Glad you loved it as much as I do! 🙂
We followed your recipe with a few small adjustments but it was delicious and will be a staple at our house now! Thanks!!
Hi Kimberly! Thank you for the kind review! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed 🙂
do you think I could use white American cheese slices they don’t have the block?
Hi Zoe, I recommend using the white American cheese slices instead of the block anyway! 🙂
Delicious, will make again, made it in the microwave.
This looks delicious and I’m going to make it for a my son’s birthday dinner. Adding the pepper jack should be delicious. I wonder if there is a difference in consistency from the recipes which use only white American.
Can I use half i stead evaporated milk?
can I throw it all in a crockpot?
Hi Linda, I have yet to give that a try but I don’t see why not! Please come back and let us know how it goes! 🙂
This is such as amazing and delicious recipe with its taste and making is also easy. I really loved it
Great flavor and easy to make. My only complaint is that it skins over too fast. I would like it a bit more liquidy. would I just need to add some milk or would it need to be evaporated milk?
Hi Nancy, either kind of milk should work for thinning out this queso!
I needed a replacement for the melting cheese I usually use, which is no longer available near me, and I was desperate to find an alternative for dinner tonight. That’s when I came across this recipe! Since I’m not a big fan of strong cumin flavor, I reduced it by about three-quarters, and it turned out absolutely delicious. I’m sure this will be my go-to from now on! Thank you!
This white queso dip recipe looks absolutely irresistible! I’m a huge fan of Mexican food, and queso dip is always a must-have for me. I love how simple and quick this recipe is—only 5 ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes? That’s a game-changer for taco nights or game day snacks.
The tip about using evaporated milk is brilliant—it’s such a great way to achieve that creamy, restaurant-quality texture. I also appreciate the suggestion to use a double boiler for keeping the queso warm longer; it’s perfect for parties or gatherings where you want to keep the dip at the perfect consistency.
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Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe—I can’t wait to try it out and impress my friends at our next get-together!
Thank you. We ate it at Chili’s today on 03-10-2025, and we liked it — just not worth what we are paying. And, we don’t go out much anymore to restaurants, bez it’s just TOO EXPENSIVE anymore. So, we’re just going to make it at home, as our appetizer/s. Thus, I’m glad that Youtubers are sharing the recipes with us, and I think that many Youtubers will get rich by cracking the Restaurant’s Secret Formulas for making their dishes.
thanks for sharing great content.
This is a fantastic dupe for true cheese dip you will get at the Mexican restaurants we all love! I think it’s important to heat up the evaporated milk a little bit before adding the cheese. I also broke up the cheese in the smaller pieces as opposed to the full slice. I will definitely be making this again! Definitely use sliced cheese from the deli counter, as opposed to anything that is available in the Refrigerated section. They put preservatives in order to keep cheese fresh for extended periods of time. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!!!